South Asia's natural resources

• South Asia possesses diverse natural resources utilized by humans, including energy sources, minerals, metals, waterways, fertile lands, trees, crops, and scenic landscapes that attract tourists.

Natural Resources by Country

• India is rich in oil, coal, high-grade iron ore, and ferroalloys.
• Fertile lands along river flood plains enable the export of wheat, rice, cotton, and peanuts in India
• Bangladesh mirrors India in natural resource wealth, with even more fertile land.
• Pakistan benefits from substantial natural gas reserves.
• Pakistan exports textiles and rice.
• Pakistan's strategic location is a key natural resource
• Afghanistan's resources, including natural gas, oil, metals like gold, and gemstones, are largely untapped.
• Opium is Afghanistan's primary natural export.
• Nepal's key natural resource is hydroelectricity.
• The Himalayas bring tourism revenue to Nepal.
• Bhutan, like Nepal, has hydroelectric potential and timber resources.
• Bhutan tends to limit the number of tourists that visit.
• Tourism is the main economic driver in The Maldives and Sri Lanka.
• The Maldives attracts 800,000 tourists annually.
• Sri Lanka attracts 1.5 million tourists annually.

Impact of Natural Resources

• South Asia sees movement of products, capital, and people due to its natural wealth.
• Foreign investment targets the region's natural resources.
• Tourism drives seasonal influxes of foreigners and capital.
• South Asians migrate to resource-rich areas such as the Middle East to work in the oil industry.
• Remittances are sent home by South Asian workers abroad.
• South Asia exports raw and manufactured products derived from its natural resources globally.